To see ourselves

Robert Burns’ humorous poem, "To a Louse" c.1786, teaches enduring lessons. The closing stanza is the one frequently recited.
"O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!"
Burns’ Jenny, a well-dressed young lady, presented herself with graceful gait, glamorous grooming and smug self-assurance. Jenny dined elegantly and with flawless manners. But, a louse, an ordinary bug was moving about in her hat! While Jenny thought about her careful preparation of herself to society, society was captivated by an ordinary bug!

The lessons prompted by the Scottish poet’s verse ought to be seriously considered. If one fails to think through Robert Burns’ premise, one may fail to achieve his best work or reach his full potential. Jenny would have been served well by a friend who was bold enough to share what was amusing others, a bug in the hat!

I am reminded of a lesson a college professor taught. (It was one of those "not-in-the-syllabus, off-the-cuff" lessons that prove invaluable and enduring.) The good teacher said, "Adversaries will often dare to tell you the truth about yourself. Friends are often too polite!" Solomon wrote, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." – Proverbs 27:6 The key is found in true friendship. Real friends give one another permission to be honest, to lovingly confront.

Those who aspire to be their best and to achieve superior work might find a few ancillary lessons worthy of consideration.

• Do I carelessly or unintentionally minimize others, or their achievements because of my own insecurities? Am I knock kneed because others are smiling about the bug in my hat and I think less of myself than I ought? Insecure people can be reckless critics.
• Am I threatened or intimidated by those with whom I have legitimate reasons for disagreement? Do others have to be "wrong" because I am convinced of a truth, a doctrine or a commitment to an opinion? Am I bugged by others in the body of Christ who accomplish what I cannot and am not called to do? Are "different people" forced to the margins of my definitions of "faith" and "faithfulness" because of their persuasion or ministry?
• Do I make decisions based on what I think others may think about me, decisions about my wardrobe, choice of car, or ministry style? John the Baptist ate bugs and is an interesting person to seriously study when considering an answer to the question.
• Does being the "only one" bug me? Is "only one" position intolerable for me? Ahab and Jehoshaphat’s encounter with Micaiah has been a help to me. (1 Kings 22) If we are the only one going East on a westward bound one way highway, we are in serious trouble. But, there are occasions when an absolute principle or redeeming truth is at risk, a moment when only "Thus saith the Lord" ought to be spoken. Are we confident that we have heard the Sovereign Lord’s counsel and are properly anointed by the Spirit?
• Do I embrace others with whom I disagree, or do not understand, as quickly and as sincerely those with whom I easily fit? How sincerely do I celebrate the achievements of others who are not the same "brand" or doctrine? If not, why? What really bugs me?

The ever-present foibles spoofed by Robert Burns are difficult to correct. We are all bugged and no one knows himself perfectly. Saint Paul’s counsel is appropriate for us all who tend to be too parochial, insecure and dogmatic. The lengthy passage is reprinted for your ease of access.
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts. Though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For us were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
"The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." – 1 Corinthians 12:12-26
While I seldom wear hats, if you see a louse crawling around me, please let me know! I trust my friends!